Serving up great food since 2001

Monthly Archives: April 2013

This fabulous recipe was inspired by the book The Latin Road Home by Jose Garces. The book explores the cuisines of Ecuador, Spain, Cuba and Mexico. This is one of the best cookbooks I have picked up in a while. In this recipe, I used fresh corn, but good frozen corn would work too. I also added some seasonings and chiles to the recipe. I make my own achiote paste, but you can buy it in Hispanic or Asian markets. Quinoa is an amazing chenopod, full of protein and fiber.

Crema de Quinoa de Zuleta; Quinoa Chowder with Sweet Corn

Ingredients:

2 cups Canola Oil for frying

2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into match sticks or cut on a spiral cutter

This gluten free recipe is an inspiration by Jose Garces from his fantastic book, The Latin Road Home. He is an Ecuadorian who was raised in Chicago. The book covers foods from Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Spain & Cuba. This bread is made all over South America, but the recipe varies greatly from country to country.

The Yuca flour is easy to find in most Hispanic Markets, it is often called Casava Flour or Tapioca. The brand I got was Brazilian and reading the label was a challenge. I do read Spanish, but Portuguese, not so much. The ratio of flour to cheese sounds kind of crazy, but it works. Serve the bread hot from the oven for a spongy texture or warm (for a denser interior with the dough settling more and forming air pockets).

Ingredients:

1 cup yucca flour

1 pound queso fresco finely grated

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbs whole milk

1 Tbs butter, melted

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp granulated raw sugar

Guava Chile Butter (recipe follows: optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Pulse a few times to combine.

Put the cheese in the processor, then mix all of the wet ingredients together and pour into the processor bowl while the blade is going. It will form a ball in about a minute, Take it out of the processor and lay it on a yucca floured surface. Allow to rest a few minutes

Form into a log and cut into 10 equally sized pieces. Roll into balls, These will be slightly larger than a golf ball.

Place the balls onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or till golden brown

Serve warm. To re-heat place in a 200 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, loosely covered with foil

Guava Chile Butter

Ingredients:

1 21 ounce package or can of guava paste (find at Latin Markets or online)

¼ cup Chinese Black Vinegar

¼ cup Sriracha Sauce

2 Tbs room temperature butter

Method:

In the bowl of a food processor, place the guava paste.

Pulse a few times to loosen it up.

Add the remaining ingredients and pulse till incorporated. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I served this with green chile and chicken posole. It would go great with soup, stews, chili or as an appetizer course. I will be sharing the Posole recipe next.